Fox 29 News A Lenny Locksmiths video special

KeyMe App duplicates keys with a picture, raises safety concerns

A Lenny Locksmith

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Who has keys to your home? Some say one smartphone app is unlocking the door to trouble with a new way to make a copy of your keys.

With just a couple of taps and a white backdrop, the Key Me app can scan and capture almost any key. You name the key and pay a few bucks with your credit card and they mail it right to you. But there’s no way to verify it’s really your key.

“Oh my God,” said Kelly Leary who is the President of Revolution Dating.

“It’s often that you have your key on the table and you’re out with a guy you don’t know and he can do that. That’s terrifying,” added Leary.

That’s the reaction people have when they realize any key can be scanned and mailed to anyone. The creators of the app say it’s actually more secure because the app requires a registered apple device, a valid credit card, and a mailing address to order the keys.

“I love the idea. I think it could be the future,” said Lenny Minuto, Owner of A Lenny Locksmith in Palm Beach County.

Minuto says the app could open the door to more business, but there needs to be more verification.

Most locksmiths will say just because they show up in their work truck doesn’t mean they’re going to hand you a key right away, you have to provide some type of identification in order for them to let you back in your house.

Critics of the app say it’s not matching the key order with the key owner.

“If somebody gets a copy of it and they break into your house then that is an issue,” said Jeannette Haynes.

It can take 5 minutes to make a key, but how much will it cost your security.

Local law enforcement departments we’ve spoken to say an app like this could be dangerous in the wrongs hands. Locksmiths recommend you keep your keys just as safe as you do your credit cards.

It cost a few dollars to order a copy of a brass key. KeyMe also has kiosks located in New York that allow users can save their keys in the cloud and print them off at kiosk using their fingerprint of they ever get locked out. It cost 20 dollars. The company says it plans to have several kiosks in Florida in the next 3 to 6 months.

Some tips offered by KeyMe are:

* Only sharing your key with people you trust

* Always keep your keys out of sight, in a pocket, purse or drawer

* If you believe your key may have been compromised, be proactive in changing the lock